Moreland’s 3-run HR, 7 pitchers carry Red Sox past Yanks 6-1

Mitch Moreland hit a three-run homer and seven pitchers combined on a three-hitter to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night.

Xander Bogaerts added a two-run double and Moreland two singles for the Red Sox, who won for the 13th time in 19 games but the defending World Series champions remained 6 1/2 games out of the AL's second wild-card spot with 21 games to play.

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Brett Gardner homered for AL East-leading New York, which lost for just the third time in 11 games. The Yankees lead atop the East dropped to 8 1/2 games over Tampa Bay, a 5-0 winner at home against Toronto.

New York starter Domingo German (17-4) gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in his bid to become the majors' first 18-game winner. He had given up two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts.

Marcus Walden (9-2), Boston's third pitcher, threw a scoreless inning for the victory.

With the Yankees entering Fenway Park with a 16 1/2-game advantage in the standings over the third-place Red Sox, the matchup hardly held the billing usually provided the rivalry.

Boston moved ahead 4-0, scoring all the runs with two outs in the fourth. Brock Holt had an RBI single on a grounder that took a bad hop past second baseman Gleyber Torres before Moreland hooked his homer around the Pesky Pole.

Gardner hit his to right off Andrew Cashner in the fifth, but Bogaerts' two-run double off the Green Monster came in the bottom half off reliever Nestor Cortes Jr.

Special trip: Yankees C Gary Sanchez and DH Edwin Encarnacion both visited former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz Friday at his residence. Ortiz is in the area recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in the Dominican Republic in June.

“I know it's someone that obviously Gary looks up to a lot, and obviously David carries a lot of respect not only here but across the sport. He's a giant in our sport,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “If Big Papi's helped him out a little bit, I'm grateful for that.”

Great entry, grand exit: Boston starter Jhoulys Chacin, signed by the Red Sox on Aug. 31 after he was released by Milwaukee, pitched two hitless innings. striking out four in his debut with the club. When he walked off and shook manager Alex Cora’s hand, he slipped down the stairs. He was OK and laughing.